The present invention relates to an insert/dispenser card for loaded anchors. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,697,950 to Fucci et al. and 5,707,394 to Miller et al. disclose pre-loaded suture anchors with rigid extensions. As should be understood from review of these patents, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein, it is known to interconnect a suture anchor with a guide wire using a length of suture so that the suture anchor can be easily mounted on an anchor driver. In use, the guide wire is inserted through a passageway through the driver and the suture is pulled therethrough, as well, until the suture anchor reaches the anchor driver and is coupled thereto. Thereafter, the guide wire is removed along with any section of the suture that has been handled during this operation.
During orthopedic surgery, the surgeon must "load" a suture anchor on an anchor driver in the manner described above while wearing surgical gloves, thus making the process potentially cumbersome. While the combination of the guide wire, suture and suture anchor has been devised specifically to make easier the process of coupling a suture anchor to the anchor driver, a need has developed for a sterilizable package for the combination of the guide wire, suture and suture anchor that allows the surgeon, or a nurse or attendant wearing similar garb, to easily remove the guide wire, suture and suture anchor from the sterilized package so that it may be suitably manipulated in the manner described above to result in coupling of the suture anchor to the anchor driver. It is with this need in mind that the present invention was developed.
The following prior art is known to Applicants:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,622 to Odermatt et al. discloses a package designed to hold a plurality of sutures. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,363,751 to Shave et al.; 4,120,395 to Mandel et al.; 5,092,455 to Leary, 5,121,836 to Brown et al.; 5,390,782 to Simn; and 5,566,821 to Brown et al. each disclose a package containing at least one needle with a suture pre-loaded thereon. These patents disclose various ways of retaining a suture therein including winding the suture, looping it back and forth, etc. The present invention differs from the teachings of these patents as contemplating a package for a combined guide wire, suture and suture anchor wherein the guide wire is contained within the package in a slightly bowed configuration to best facilitate frictional retention of the guide wire within the package. The present invention further contemplates placement of the suture within the package in such a manner that one portion of the suture may be suitably grasped whereupon the entire guide wire-suture-suture anchor assembly may be removed easily from the package, ready for use.